Image pickup system and image pickup method

This application claims the benefit of Japanese Application No. 2014-130624 filed in Japan on Jun. 25, 2014, the entire contents of which are incorporated by this reference.

Background of the invention

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an image pickup system including a confirmation unit on which an image from a separated image pickup unit can be displayed, and an image pickup method.

Description of Related Art

In recent years, mobile devices with a photographing function (photographing devices) such as digital cameras have become common. Some of such photographing devices have a display section and a function for displaying a photographed image on the display section. In addition, some of them display a menu screen on a display section to facilitate the operation of the photographing devices. Such a display section is commonly provided on a rear surface of a mobile device main body, and a user is able to perform a photographing operation while confirming a through image displayed on the display section on the rear surface at the time of photographing.

Furthermore, various kinds of image processing apparatuses that process picked-up images have been developed, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2007-312097, for example, discloses an image processing apparatus that enables a user to easily select a desired image from among continuously picked-up images, and the image processing apparatus selects an image in which a partial area selected by a user is focused on from among a plurality of images included in an image group classified by an image classification section.

Incidentally, in recent years, lens-style cameras, which do not have a display section for displaying a picked-up image but only have functions of photographing and recording, have sometimes been employed. Lens-style cameras of this type are generally attached to a smartphone, a tablet PC, or the like, and photographing is controlled by using the smartphone, tablet PC, or the like to which the lens-style camera is attached, as an operation device (control device). In addition, the control device such as a smartphone, tablet PC, or the like also functions as an image pickup display apparatus that displays a picked-up image from the lens-style camera.

Such a lens-style camera is attachable to and detachable from a smartphone, tablet PC, or the like, and is capable of photographing in a state detached from the smartphone, tablet PC, or the like. In this case, the control device such as the smartphone, tablet PC, or the like is connected to the lens-style camera by wireless or wire communication, and the photographing operation of the lens-style camera can be performed by using a touch panel, etc., provided on the display section.

Note that the lens-style camera is used in a state attached to the image pickup display apparatus that displays a picked-up image from the lens-style camera (connected state) in some cases, and used in a state detached from the image pickup display apparatus (separated state) in other cases. The lens-style camera in the separated state has an advantage in that a degree of freedom of a composition is more increased than in the connected state.

Summary of the invention

An image pickup system according to the present invention is an image pickup system which includes an image pickup unit and a confirmation unit that displays a picked-up image transmitted from the image pickup unit, the image pickup unit and the confirmation unit being separable from each other, and the image pickup system includes: a first motion determination section that determines a motion of the image pickup unit; and a control section that instructs the image pickup unit to perform continuous shooting based on a determination result by the first motion determination section when the image pickup unit and the confirmation unit are separated from each other.

Furthermore, an image pickup method according to the present invention is an image pickup method of an image pickup system that includes an image pickup unit and a confirmation unit that displays a picked-up image transmitted from the image pickup unit, the image pickup unit and the confirmation unit being separable from each other, and the image pickup method includes: a first motion determination step in which a motion of the image pickup unit is determined; and a control step in which an instruction is given to the image pickup unit to perform continuous shooting based on a determination result in the first motion determination step when the image pickup unit and the confirmation unit are separated from each other.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more clearly understood from the following description referring to the accompanying drawings.

Brief description of the drawings

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an image pickup system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for describing photographing control.

FIGS. 3A to 3C are illustrative diagrams for describing the working in the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an illustrative diagram showing an appearance of the system shown in FIG. 4 .

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for describing the camera control in the lens-style camera 51 and the control of a smartphone 61 .

FIG. 7 is an illustrative diagram showing an example of a picked-up image from the built-in camera section 63 .

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a specific working flow of a connection determination communication performed by the lens-style camera 51 in step S 37 in FIG. 6 .

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a flow of a connection determination performed by a control section 65 using information obtained by the connection determination communication.

FIG. 10A and FIG. 10B are illustrative diagrams for describing similarity determination of shake patterns.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the working of motion reflecting photographing control in step S 20 in FIG. 6 .

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the working of motion reflecting photographing control in step S 40 in FIG. 6 .

FIG. 13A and FIG. 13B are illustrative diagrams for describing photographing control corresponding to FIG. 11 .

FIG. 14A and FIG. 14B are illustrative diagrams for describing photographing control corresponding to FIG. 11 .

FIGS. 15A to 15D are illustrative diagrams for describing photographing control corresponding to FIG. 12 .

FIG. 16 is an illustrative diagram for describing display processing in step S 23 in FIG. 6 .

Detailed description of preferred embodiments

Hereinafter, detailed description will be made on embodiments of the present invention with reference to drawings. First Embodiment

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an image pickup system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1 , an image pickup unit 10 includes a communication section 11 , and a confirmation unit 20 includes a communication section 21 . For example, the image pickup unit 10 can be configured by a lens-style camera, and the confirmation unit 20 can be configured by a smartphone or a tablet PC. The communication section 11 and the communication section 21 can communicate with each other. The image pickup unit 10 and the confirmation unit 20 communicate with each other through the communication sections 11 , 21 , to thereby capable of transmitting and receiving various kinds of information. Note that the confirmation unit 20 configured by a smartphone, a tablet PC, or the like not only displays an image from the image pickup unit 10 for confirmation but also operates and controls the image pickup unit 10 . Therefore, the confirmation unit 20 may be referred to as “information terminal”, “image pickup display apparatus”, “operation apparatus”, “control apparatus, etc.

The image pickup unit 10 includes an image pickup device, not shown. An image pickup control section 12 is configured to receive a control signal from the confirmation unit 20 through the communication section 11 , and to be able to control image pickup to be performed by the image pickup device. The communication section 11 is configured to be able to transmit a picked-up image obtained by the image pickup device to the communication section 21 .

In the present embodiment, the image pickup unit 10 is provided with a motion determination section 13 . The motion determination section 13 is configured to be able to determine a motion of the image pickup unit 10 and output a determination result to a control section 25 of the confirmation unit 20 , through the communication section 11 . Note that the motion determination section 13 is configured by an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, or the like, and capable of determining the motion of the image pickup unit 10 based on the detection result obtained by any of these sensors. In addition, the motion determination section 13 may be configured to determine the motion of the image pickup unit 10 by detecting the motion of the picked-up image obtained by the image pickup device of the image pickup unit 10 .

The confirmation unit 20 includes an image pickup device, not shown. The image pickup control section 22 is configured to be able to control the image pickup by the image pickup device in the confirmation unit 20 . The confirmation unit 20 includes a display section 23 . The display section 23 is controlled by the control section 25 to display a picked-up image, a menu, and the like.

The control section 25 can control image pickup by the image pickup unit 10 through the communication sections 21 , 11 . In addition, the control section 25 performs predetermined image processing on the picked-up image transferred from the image pickup unit 10 through the communication sections 11 , 21 , and thereafter can send the picked-up image subjected to the image processing to the display section 23 , to cause the display section to display the picked-up image. The control section 25 also can send the picked-up image from the image pickup unit 10 to a recording medium, not shown, to cause the recording medium to record the image.

The confirmation unit 20 is provided with an operation section 24 . The operation section 24 can be configured by switches, buttons, and the like, not shown, for example, and outputs to the control section 25 an operation signal based on a user operation performed with respect to the operation section 24 . In addition, a touch panel, not shown, provided on a display screen of the display section 23 may be employed as the operation section 24 .

The touch panel can generate an operation signal corresponding to a position on the display screen of the display section 23 which is pointed by the user with a finger. The operation signal is supplied to the control section 25 . Thus, when the user touches on or slides the display screen, the control section 25 is capable of detecting various operations, for example, the position touched by the user, operation for closing and then spreading two fingers (pinch operation), the sliding operation, the position reached by the sliding operation, the sliding direction, a time period during which the user touches the display screen, etc., and capable of executing processing corresponding to the user operation. For example, touch operation enables various photographing operations in the image pickup unit 10 to be performed.

In the present embodiment, the confirmation unit 20 is provided with a motion determination section 26 . The motion determination section 26 is capable of determining the motion of the confirmation unit 20 itself. The motion determination section 26 outputs a motion determination result to the control section 25 . Note that the motion determination section 26 is configured by an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, or the like, and capable of determining the motion of the confirmation unit 20 based on the detection result obtained by any of these sensors. Furthermore, the motion determination section 26 may be configured to determine the motion of the confirmation unit 20 by detecting the motion of the picked-up image obtained by the image pickup device of the confirmation unit 20 .

Note that the motion determination sections 13 , 26 are capable of determining whether the image pickup unit 10 and the confirmation unit 20 are in motion or motionless, various types of the motions, for example, arc-like or rectangular motion, motion surrounding an area, or linear motion, and various matters such as rotation angle, a motion amount, and a motion speed, and the like.

The control section 25 is configured to be able to not only control the confirmation unit 20 and the image pickup unit 10 based on the operation of the operation section 24 , but also control the image pickup of the image pickup unit 10 in accordance with the determination result by the motion determination section 13 . Note that the control section 25 causes a memory, not shown, to store the motion determination results obtained by the motion determination sections 13 , 26 . This makes it possible for the control section 25 to control the image pickup of the image pickup unit 10 according to the history of the motion determination.

Note that the control section 25 is configured to be able to determine whether or not the image pickup unit 10 is attached to the confirmation unit 20 , that is, the image pickup unit 10 and the confirmation unit 20 are connected to each other, or separated from each other, by using the determination results from the motion determination sections 13 , 26 , the picked-up images by the image pickup unit 10 and the confirmation unit 20 , and the like.

Next, the working in the embodiment thus configured will be described with reference to FIG. 2 and FIGS. 3A to 3C . FIG. 2 is a flowchart for describing photographing control, and FIGS. 3A to 3C are illustrative diagrams for describing the working in the first embodiment.

The control section 25 of the confirmation unit 20 controls the image pickup control section 12 of the image pickup unit 10 , through the communication sections 21 , 11 . The image pickup control section 12 is controlled by the control section 25 to drive the image pickup device of the image pickup unit 10 . The picked-up image obtained by image pickup performed by the image pickup device is imported into the confirmation unit 20 through the communication sections 11 , 21 . The control section 25 of the confirmation unit 20 performs predetermined signal processing on the imported picked-up image, and thereafter sends the imported picked-up image subjected to the predetermined signal processing to the display section 23 to cause the display section to display a through image. The user can perform photographing operation while referring to the through image displayed on the display section 23 . When the user operates the operation section 24 to perform release operation for deciding an image to be recorded from among the picked-up images of the image pickup unit 10 , the control section 25 gives a photographing instruction to the image pickup unit 10 . In response to this instruction, the image pickup unit 10 outputs the image being picked up as a still image. The control section 25 of the confirmation unit 20 records the transferred picked-up image in a recording medium, not shown.

In the present embodiment, besides the case where the release operation is performed by the user, the control section 25 performs automatic photographing based on the determination result as to whether or not the image pickup unit 10 and the confirmation unit 20 are separated from each other and the determination result of the motion of the image pickup unit 10 . In step S 1 in FIG. 2 , determination is made on whether or not the image pickup unit 10 and the confirmation unit 20 are separated from each other. For example, the control section 25 can determine whether or not the confirmation unit 20 and the image pickup unit 10 are separated from each other, based on the motion determination results obtained by the motion determination sections 13 , 26 . When the image pickup unit 10 is attached to the confirmation unit 20 , i.e., these units are in a connected state, the control section 25 selects a display form for an operation pattern 1 and performs operation control according to the operation pattern 1 (step S 4 ).

FIG. 3A shows a display in the operation pattern 1 . FIG. 3A shows a state where the display section 23 is provided on the substantially entire area of an operation surface of a case 20 a of the confirmation unit 20 . On a display screen 23 a of the display section 23 , an image display area 31 for displaying a picked-up image 32 is provided. In addition, on the display screen 23 a , a play button 35 a , a mode button 35 b , and a photographing button 35 c , which are operation icons constituting the operation section 24 , are displayed.

When the user touches on the play button 35 a , the mode button 35 b , or the photographing button 35 c , the control section 25 causes the confirmation unit 20 to shift to a play mode, a mode setting mode, or a photographing mode.

When the image pickup unit 10 is attached to the confirmation unit 20 , it is expected that the user usually holds the case 20 a with both hands, and as shown in the example in FIG. 3A , the user performs touch operation with both fingers (the thumbs, for example), i.e., both of a finger 41 L of the left hand and a finger 41 R of the right hand. Since the operation using the fingers of the both hands is possible, the operation icons are arranged in arranging areas at up, down, right and left portions on the display screen 23 a , as shown in FIG. 3A .

When the control section 25 determines that the image pickup unit 10 and the confirmation unit 20 are in the state separated from each other, the control section 25 determines, in the next step S 2 , whether or not a composition deciding operation is performed. For example, the control section 25 determines whether or not the image pickup unit 10 makes a particular movement in the state where the photographer looks at the confirmation unit 20 . For example, it is supposed that the photographer grasps and holds the image pickup unit 10 with one hand, and grasps the confirmation unit 20 with the other hand to confirm the display section 23 . In this case, the photographer moves the image pickup unit 10 for deciding a composition. For example, when the control section 25 detects that the confirmation unit 20 is in a motionless state and the image pickup unit 10 is moved for deciding a composition and, after the movement, the image pickup unit 10 is in a motionless state for a predetermined time period, based on the determination results obtained by the motion determination sections 13 , 26 , the control section 25 can determine that the composition determining operation has been completed and the image pickup unit 10 is in a composition fixed state. Note that whether or not the photographer looks at the confirmation unit 20 can be easily confirmed, if confirmation unit 20 includes a built-in camera. In a case where the confirmation unit 20 does not include a built-in camera, or other cases, the determination as to whether or not the photographer is looking at the confirmation unit 20 may be omitted and the composition deciding operation and the composition fixed state may be determined based only on a relationship between the motions of the image pickup unit 10 and the confirmation unit 20 . The composition deciding operation is determined based on the motion of the confirmation unit (display section) and the motion of the image pickup unit.

When the composition deciding operation and the composition fixed state are determined based on the motion of the confirmation unit (display section), substantially fixed positional relationship between the confirmation unit and the user may be used as a condition for the composition fixed state, for example, and this condition can be determined by checking directly on an image that the confirmation unit or the display section is at a distance of distinct vision from the user's eyes and the up, down, right, and left sides of the confirmation unit or the display section are maintained at a constant distance with respect to the user's eyes. Alternatively, the state where the confirmation unit or the display section is fixed in a range of hand shake may be used as a condition for the composition fixed state. However, the state where the confirmation unit or the display section is placed face-down on a desk may be excluded from the condition for the composition fixed state.

In addition, the condition for the motion of the image pickup unit may be taken into consideration. In that case, determination may be made as to whether a wandering operation to be described later or confirmation operation is performed. In the composition deciding operation, the display section is substantially fixed so that the user can carefully look at the display section, and in the image pickup unit, confirmation and wandering (composition adjustment) is performed.

When the composition deciding operation is performed, the control section 25 shifts the processing from step S 2 to step S 3 , to determine the wandering motion of the image pickup unit 10 . When the image pickup unit 10 and the confirmation unit 20 are in the state separated from each other, it is expected that the line of sight of the photographer who confirms the picked-up image on the display section 23 of the confirmation unit 20 does not coincide with the field of view direction of the image pickup unit 10 . In this case, the photographer cannot easily recognize how to move the image pickup unit 10 in order to set a desired field of view range, and is not sure how to move the image pickup unit 10 . As a result, in the composition deciding operation, the photographer sometimes continues to move the image pickup unit 10 for a relatively long time, or further moves the image pickup unit 10 despite an object desired to be photographed being captured at a center position of an image, for example, or repeats object searching action many times. In step S 3 , such motions of the image pickup unit 10 are determined as wandering motion.

For example, when the motion of the image pickup unit 10 indicates that the composition deciding operation is continuously performed for a predetermined time period or more, the control section 25 may determine that such a motion is wandering motion. In addition, for example, when a main object can be determined from the picked-up image and the image position of the determined main object continues to move for a predetermined time period or more, the control section 25 may determine that such a motion is wandering motion.

That is, “wandering motion” includes a situation where the motion for capturing an object image is performed first and the object to be placed in the center portion of the screen has not been fixed. In other words, there is no object which is continuously detected in the screen at first, and after an image of a particular object is picked up, the image pickup unit tries to continue to capture the image of the particular object. Accordingly, a process before the particular object enters into the screen is also regarded as a part of the wandering motion.

Next, the object image entered into the center part of the screen, for example, is expected to move such that confirmation action and feedback action are repeated so that the user confirms the composition and photographing effects. When an image of the same characteristics is captured and there is a confirmation period of about 0.5 seconds (this numerical value is supposedly set, because it is said that it takes 0.4 seconds after a baseball pitcher throws a ball until the ball reaches the home base, and an expert can determine a pitch type during the time period. However, such time period varies between individuals, as a matter of course.) for confirming the image, such a situation is regarded as “wandering motion”. If it is supposed that the user does not move the display section and image pickup unit during the confirmation period, the motion pattern in which micro-motion and fixing are repeated in a cycle of about 0.5 to 2 seconds may be regarded as “motion determination” based on a change in a result of image pickup, posture determination, and vibration determination. A method of such “motion determination” will be further detailed later. The motion determination may be performed not only on the center of the screen but also on a particular area. At this time, determination may be made on whether the photographer surely looks at the display section or on whether the photographer does not shake the display section, and such determination may be also set as a condition for the motion determination.

When determining that the wandering motion of the image pickup unit 10 does not occur in step S 3 , the control section 25 determines that the composition is fixed, to shift the processing to step S 5 . In the present embodiment, if the confirmation unit 20 moves in the state where the image pickup unit 10 is in a motionless state in the composition fixed state, operation control in a operation pattern 2 is performed according to the motion of the confirmation unit 20 (step S 5 ). For example, when the user performs an operation for rotating the confirmation unit 20 in the composition fixed state, the control section 25 determines that this operation is a zoom operation and performs zoom control on the image pickup unit 10 through the communication sections 21 , 11 .

FIG. 3B shows a state in the operation pattern 2 . FIG. 3B doubly illustrates the case 20 a of the confirmation unit 20 and the hand 42 of the user, to show a state where the case 20 a is moving. On the display screen 23 a , a photographing button 37 , which is an operation icon, is displayed in an area other than the image display area 31 . When the photographer rotates the confirmation unit 20 as shown with the arrow in FIG. 3B , the control section 25 determines that this movement is a zoom operation. In this case, the control section 25 may determine a zoom direction according to the rotation direction and a zoom amount according to the rotation angle. In addition, as an operation indicating zooming, an operation for rotationally moving the case 20 a may be performed while switching the forward and reverse rotation directions. In this case, the control section 25 may determine the zoom direction according to the direction in which the case 20 a is rotated first by a predetermined amount or more, and may determine the zoom amount according to the number of forward and reverse rotations.

Note that when the user performs the release operation by touching on the photographing button 37 , the control section 25 causes the imported picked-up image to be recorded.

In the case of this display form, it is expected that the user usually holds the case 20 a with one hand, and holds the image pickup unit 10 with the other hand. Therefore, it is relatively difficult for the user to perform photographing operation using buttons, switches, and the like. Even in such a case, the operation for moving the confirmation unit 20 is relatively easy, and the user can easily perform the zoom operation as shown in the example shown in FIG. 3B .

In the present embodiment, when determining that the wandering motion has occurred in the step S 3 , the control section 25 shifts the processing to step S 6 . FIG. 3C shows an example of the wandering motion. In order to decide the composition, the user moves the image pickup unit 10 while confirming the display on the display section 23 of the confirmation unit 20 . FIG. 3C shows that the user rotates a case 10 a of the image pickup unit 10 as shown by the arrow in order to photograph the image of the object in a vertical composition or a horizontal composition such that the object is not inclined. In this case, since the image pickup unit 10 has a cylindrical shape, the user has to confirm the vertical composition or the horizontal composition by viewing the through image and the field of view direction of the user and the field of view direction of the image pickup unit 10 do not coincide with each other. As a result, the user cannot decide in which direction the image pickup unit 10 should be rotated in order to decide the composition, which results in occurrence of the wandering motion.

In step S 6 , the control section 25 gives an instruction for photographing by continuous shooting to the image pickup unit 10 regardless of whether or not the release operation is performed by the user. In response to the instruction, the image pickup control section 12 of the image pickup unit 10 continuously imports the picked-up images from the image pickup device as still images and sequentially transmits the images to the confirmation unit 20 . The confirmation unit 20 sequentially records the picked-up images obtained by continuous shooting in a recording medium, not shown.

When the control section 25 detects operations with respect to the displays according to these operation patterns 1 to 3 in step S 7 , the control section 25 performs photographing control, image processing, and the like which correspond to the operations (step S 8 ).

Note that the control section 25 may record the picked-up images obtained by the image pickup unit 10 as still images by the touch operation of the photographing button 37 shown in FIGS. 3B and 3C , or may detect that both of the image pickup unit 10 and the confirmation unit 20 are in the motionless state for a predetermined time period or more, for example, to thereby automatically record the still images.

In addition, the above-described flowchart in FIG. 2 does not explicitly show that the history of the motions of the image pickup unit 10 and the confirmation unit 20 is utilized. However, the operation pattern may be decided according to not only the relationship between the states of the present motions of the image pickup unit 10 and the confirmation unit 20 but also the history of the motions of the image pickup unit 10 and the confirmation unit 20 .

In addition, description has been made supposing that continuous shooting is performed in the step S 6 . However, control may be performed such that single shooting is performed.

Thus, in the present embodiment, determination is made on whether or not the image pickup unit and the confirmation unit are separated from each other, and in the case where these units are in the separated state, if it is determined that wandering motion occurs in the composition deciding operation, continuous shooting of the object is automatically performed regardless of whether or not the release operation is performed by the user. According to such a configuration, even if the user makes wandering motion in the composition deciding operation of the image pickup unit, the image of the object can be surely picked up. In the state where the image pickup unit and the confirmation unit are separated from each other, the user sometimes moves the image pickup unit many times in the wandering motion so as to search for the object, when performing operation for deciding the composition. Therefore, even if the user can obtain a desired composition, the user sometimes cannot perform release operation at the timing at which the desired composition is obtained. According to the present embodiment, photographing is surely performed even in such a case, which enables the user to obtain a still image with desired composition without missing the best moment for photographing. Second Embodiment

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the second embodiment of the present invention and illustrating an example in which a lens-style camera is employed as the image pickup unit and a smartphone is employed as the confirmation unit. FIG. 5 is an illustrative diagram showing an appearance of the system shown in FIG. 4 . Note that each of the image pickup unit and the confirmation unit has only to include the image pickup function and the display function, and both of the image pickup unit and the confirmation unit may be configured by smartphones, or tablet PCs, mobile phones, or the like.

In FIG. 4 , a smartphone 61 corresponding to the confirmation unit 20 in FIG. 1 is provided with a camera communication section 62 , a lens-style camera 51 corresponding to the image pickup unit 10 in FIG. 1 is provided with a communication section 55 , and the smartphone 61 and the lens-style camera 51 are configured to be able to communicate with each other through the communication sections 62 , 55 .

As shown in FIG. 5 , a case 61 a of the smartphone 61 is configured such that an attaching instrument 71 is detachably attached thereto, and the attaching instrument 71 is provided with an attaching portion 72 for attaching the lens-style camera 51 . The lens-style camera 51 includes on a base end side thereof an attaching portion 51 b which is configured to be attachable to the attaching portion 72 of the attaching instrument 71 by fitting, screwing, or the like.

The lens-style camera 51 is provided with an image pickup section 52 having an optical system 52 a . The image pickup section 52 is provided with an image pickup device, not shown, configured by a CCD, a CMOS sensor, or the like, and an object image is guided onto an image pickup surface of the image pickup device by the optical system 52 a . The optical system 52 a is housed in a lens barrel 51 a , and in the lens barrel 51 a , a focus lens which is movable for setting a focus (focusing) state by focusing, a zoom lens whose power is varied in the focus state, and the like are provided. In addition, the optical system 52 a includes a mechanical portion, not shown, which drives these lenses and a diaphragm. A control section 53 is configured to control the mechanical portion of the optical system 52 a to drive and control the focus lens, zoom lens and diaphragm.

The lens-style camera 51 is provided with an operation section 54 such as an operation ring 54 a for performing setting operation of parameters for photographing by a user, for example, parameters related to focusing, zooming and diaphragm. The control section 53 detects the user operation performed on the operation section 54 , to perform control based on a result of the detection. The control section 53 is configured by a processor such as a CPU, and controls the respective sections of the lens-style camera 51 based on the user operation performed on the operation section 54 and a signal from the smartphone 61 to be described later.

A photographing control section 53 a generates a focus signal, a zoom signal, and a diaphragm control signal, to drive and control the focusing, zooming and diaphragm of the optical system 52 a . In addition, the photographing control section 53 a supplies a driving signal to the image pickup device to control the image pickup of the object.

An image processing section 53 b receives a picked-up image from the image pickup device, and performs predetermined image signal processing, for example, color adjustment processing, matrix conversion processing, noise removal processing, and other various kinds of signal processing on the picked-up image, and thereafter sends the image subjected to the image signal processing to a recording section 56 and enables the recording section to record the image. As the recording section 56 , an IC memory can be employed, for example. In addition, the image processing section 53 b is configured to be able to transfer the picked-up image to the smartphone 61 through the communication section 55 .

The communication section 55 can communicate with the camera communication section 62 provided in the smartphone 61 through a predetermined transmission channel. As the transmission channel, various wired and wireless transmission channels, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable, a transmission channel for wireless LAN such as Wifi (Wireless Fidelity) can be employed. When communication is established between the lens-style camera 51 and the smartphone 61 , the control section 53 is able to control the photographing in accordance with the control by the control section 65 of the smartphone 61 and transfer the picked-up image and information related to the lens to the smartphone 61 .

In the present embodiment, the lens-style camera 51 is provided with a motion determination section 57 . The motion determination section 57 is configured by a three-axis acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, or the like, and determines the motion of the lens-style camera 51 to send a result of the determination to the control section 53 . Note that, the motion determination section 57 may use a geomagnetic sensor together with the above-described sensor. Note that the motion determination section 57 may be configured to detect the motion of the picked-up image obtained by the image pickup section 52 , to thereby determine the motion of the lens-style camera 51 .

The smartphone 61 includes a built-in camera section 63 . The built-in camera section 63 includes two image pickup devices, not shown, configured by CCD, CMOS sensor and the like, and these two image pickup devices configure an outside image pickup section and an inside image pickup section. The outside image pickup section includes one of the image pickup devices. An optical image of an object, which is incident through a lens 63 a (see FIG. 5 ) provided on a front surface of the case 61 a of the smartphone 61 , is guided onto the image pickup surface of the one of the image pickup devices, and the outside image pickup section picks up the image of the object. The inside image pickup section includes the other of the image pickup devices. An optical image of the photographer himself/herself, which is incident through a lens, not shown, provided on the operation surface of the case 61 a of the smartphone 61 , is guided onto the image pickup surface of the other of the image pickup devices, and the inside image pickup section picks up the image of the photographer himself/herself.

The control section 65 of the smartphone 61 is configured by a processor such as a CPU, for example, and controls the respective sections of the smartphone 61 . The control section 65 controls the built-in camera section 63 and outputs a signal for driving the image pickup section 52 of the lens-style camera 51 . The control section 65 receives a picked-up image from the built-in camera section 63 , and also receives a picked-up image from the lens-style camera 51 . The control section 65 performs predetermined signal processing, for example, color adjustment processing, matrix conversion processing, noise removal processing, and other various kinds of signal processing on the picked-up image from the built-in camera section 63 and the picked-up image received from the lens-style camera 51 .

The smartphone 61 is also provided with an operation section 66 . The operation section 66 is configured by various kinds of operation portions such as switches, keys, software keyboard, or the like, which are not shown, provided to the smartphone 61 , and configured to generate an operation signal based on a user operation, and output the generated operation signal to the control section 65 . The control section 65 controls each of the sections based on the operation signal.

The description continues in the full USPTO document.